Usual disclaimers... blah!
Last chapter for today...
***
Catherine returned to find the galley in chaos and Jean Claude forcing two of the new crew members from within. "I thought you said you could cook!" he ranted, shoving the nearest man hard between the shoulder blades. "Ah, Kitty! Rescue me from these fools! They said they could cook!"
She smiled in amusement at his expression. "They probably can to their standards," she laughed, "just not to yours! Give me a moment and I'll be with you." She went in search of Jack, surprised to find him talking in their cabin with the Commodore. "Jack, James - I'll be in the galley if you need me... I can trust the two of you not to try to kill each other?" she teased, although by her expression she almost looked serious.
"Sure luv," Jack drawled, walking across to kiss her. "I promise t' behave," he winked.
She grinned and left the two of them, returning to the galley. If Jean Claude was preparing one of his special meals then he would need all of the help she could give him.
***
James Norrington was surprised by the quality of the meal that had been prepared, although James Schott seemed determined to sour the atmosphere onboard.
Jack finally lost his temper. "Jimmy!" He banged his bottle of rum down on the table. "What is th' matter with yer? Yer uncle believes us! Why are yer bein' like this?"
"I have been abducted," he retorted. "Why should I be civil?"
"The Governor has given us little choice in this..." Catherine began, trying to calm the situation.
"The Governor is right to want to hang you!" James replied. "You are nothing but pirates!"
Catherine gasped at his accusation, looking at James Norrington in disbelief. He frowned, looking troubled by his nephew's words. "Not everythin' is black an' white - there are lots of shades of grey Jimmy..." Jack cautioned.
"You'll still hang," he said, his tone assured. "The Governor will see to that!"
"Like he saw to Joshamee and the others?" Catherine hissed angrily. "With false witness signed by the brother of a French pirate? The same man that killed Etta? The same man that tried to snatch Charlotte twice?" Jack placed his hand on her arm but she shrugged it off angrily, rising and leaning across the table at the boy. "The Governor has played us false on more than one occasion and one day you will learn the truth Jimmy and discover what a lying bastard he is!"
"Kitty!" Jack warned, worried for he had rarely seen her this angry.
"Can you swim Jimmy?" she asked, her voice barely concealing her rage.
"Yes..." he replied, unsure at her change of subject.
"Good!" Catherine pushed her chair back and it fell with a clatter as she stormed around the table, grabbing him by his collar. "Out!" Despite his being taller than her, she forced him through the cabin doors and out onto deck.
"Kitty!" Jack protested, whilst the Commodore just stood silent in shock, stunned by the events. Jack dashed to the doors just in time to hear a splash.
"The shore is that way!" Catherine shouted over the rail. "Best see if Elizabeth will take you in for I will not have you on this ship!"
"Kitty..." Jack began, but she silenced him with a glance, swinging up into the rigging. A number of the crew had emerged from below decks to see what the noise was about, but rapidly disappeared when Jack glared at them. He glanced over the side, reassured to see James swimming for the shore. "Kitty!" he shouted up to the crows nest, but she did not answer. He shrugged and, seeing James reach shore, returned to his cabin where James Norrington still stood in stunned disbelief. "Well, I guess he's cooled off a bit now," he smiled, sitting down and returning to his meal.
"And Catherine?" James Norrington ventured. He had always known that she was a force to be reckoned with in her own right, but had never seen her so angry or so decisive before.
Jack sighed. "She might cool off by the morning, or tonight if I am really lucky - but Jimmy had best stay with the Turners fer a while." He frowned, uncorking his rum. "Why is he bein' like this?" he asked. "Kitty loves that boy like he was her own... she nearly died tryin' t' save him on th' Gallian! An' then to have him spout that rubbish!" Jack shook his head in disbelief.
"He spent a lot of time with Peter Spense before the Governor sent his family back to England," James Norrington said quietly. "I have not had as much time with him as I would like due to my duties..." He sighed heavily. "And he has been spending some time at the Roseridge Plantation, making use of their library..."
"Great," Jack said sourly. "Th' Spenses an' th' Roseridges... our two favourite families poisoning his mind! No wonder he hates us now!"
The Commodore shrugged. "Well you are pirates..."
"But we have kept to our accord despite th' Governor's best efforts," Jack protested.
"And what of your destruction of the Fort?" James retorted.
"Payback fer what he did t' Kitty!" Jack defended. "An' fer th' deaths of m' crew!" He smiled. "More beef James?" he asked, changing the subject. "It would be a shame to waste it..."
***
Elizabeth looked at the bedraggled boy in disbelief. "Kitty threw you off the ship?" she gasped.
"Literally!" James said sourly.
Elizabeth shrugged. She knew that Catherine had a temper at times, but acknowledged that she was usually fair. Something had been said and James was not saying. "Well you can bed down in Billy's room for tonight," she offered "and we will see what the morning brings..."
"Thank you Mistress Turner," James said.
Elizabeth led him through to Billy's room, making up a small bed on the floor. She resolved to speak to Catherine in the morning to find out what had happened as soon as possible.
***
That is all for today... orderly queue now... ANI! I SAID AN ORDERLY QUEUE!
Last chapter for today...
***
Catherine returned to find the galley in chaos and Jean Claude forcing two of the new crew members from within. "I thought you said you could cook!" he ranted, shoving the nearest man hard between the shoulder blades. "Ah, Kitty! Rescue me from these fools! They said they could cook!"
She smiled in amusement at his expression. "They probably can to their standards," she laughed, "just not to yours! Give me a moment and I'll be with you." She went in search of Jack, surprised to find him talking in their cabin with the Commodore. "Jack, James - I'll be in the galley if you need me... I can trust the two of you not to try to kill each other?" she teased, although by her expression she almost looked serious.
"Sure luv," Jack drawled, walking across to kiss her. "I promise t' behave," he winked.
She grinned and left the two of them, returning to the galley. If Jean Claude was preparing one of his special meals then he would need all of the help she could give him.
***
James Norrington was surprised by the quality of the meal that had been prepared, although James Schott seemed determined to sour the atmosphere onboard.
Jack finally lost his temper. "Jimmy!" He banged his bottle of rum down on the table. "What is th' matter with yer? Yer uncle believes us! Why are yer bein' like this?"
"I have been abducted," he retorted. "Why should I be civil?"
"The Governor has given us little choice in this..." Catherine began, trying to calm the situation.
"The Governor is right to want to hang you!" James replied. "You are nothing but pirates!"
Catherine gasped at his accusation, looking at James Norrington in disbelief. He frowned, looking troubled by his nephew's words. "Not everythin' is black an' white - there are lots of shades of grey Jimmy..." Jack cautioned.
"You'll still hang," he said, his tone assured. "The Governor will see to that!"
"Like he saw to Joshamee and the others?" Catherine hissed angrily. "With false witness signed by the brother of a French pirate? The same man that killed Etta? The same man that tried to snatch Charlotte twice?" Jack placed his hand on her arm but she shrugged it off angrily, rising and leaning across the table at the boy. "The Governor has played us false on more than one occasion and one day you will learn the truth Jimmy and discover what a lying bastard he is!"
"Kitty!" Jack warned, worried for he had rarely seen her this angry.
"Can you swim Jimmy?" she asked, her voice barely concealing her rage.
"Yes..." he replied, unsure at her change of subject.
"Good!" Catherine pushed her chair back and it fell with a clatter as she stormed around the table, grabbing him by his collar. "Out!" Despite his being taller than her, she forced him through the cabin doors and out onto deck.
"Kitty!" Jack protested, whilst the Commodore just stood silent in shock, stunned by the events. Jack dashed to the doors just in time to hear a splash.
"The shore is that way!" Catherine shouted over the rail. "Best see if Elizabeth will take you in for I will not have you on this ship!"
"Kitty..." Jack began, but she silenced him with a glance, swinging up into the rigging. A number of the crew had emerged from below decks to see what the noise was about, but rapidly disappeared when Jack glared at them. He glanced over the side, reassured to see James swimming for the shore. "Kitty!" he shouted up to the crows nest, but she did not answer. He shrugged and, seeing James reach shore, returned to his cabin where James Norrington still stood in stunned disbelief. "Well, I guess he's cooled off a bit now," he smiled, sitting down and returning to his meal.
"And Catherine?" James Norrington ventured. He had always known that she was a force to be reckoned with in her own right, but had never seen her so angry or so decisive before.
Jack sighed. "She might cool off by the morning, or tonight if I am really lucky - but Jimmy had best stay with the Turners fer a while." He frowned, uncorking his rum. "Why is he bein' like this?" he asked. "Kitty loves that boy like he was her own... she nearly died tryin' t' save him on th' Gallian! An' then to have him spout that rubbish!" Jack shook his head in disbelief.
"He spent a lot of time with Peter Spense before the Governor sent his family back to England," James Norrington said quietly. "I have not had as much time with him as I would like due to my duties..." He sighed heavily. "And he has been spending some time at the Roseridge Plantation, making use of their library..."
"Great," Jack said sourly. "Th' Spenses an' th' Roseridges... our two favourite families poisoning his mind! No wonder he hates us now!"
The Commodore shrugged. "Well you are pirates..."
"But we have kept to our accord despite th' Governor's best efforts," Jack protested.
"And what of your destruction of the Fort?" James retorted.
"Payback fer what he did t' Kitty!" Jack defended. "An' fer th' deaths of m' crew!" He smiled. "More beef James?" he asked, changing the subject. "It would be a shame to waste it..."
***
Elizabeth looked at the bedraggled boy in disbelief. "Kitty threw you off the ship?" she gasped.
"Literally!" James said sourly.
Elizabeth shrugged. She knew that Catherine had a temper at times, but acknowledged that she was usually fair. Something had been said and James was not saying. "Well you can bed down in Billy's room for tonight," she offered "and we will see what the morning brings..."
"Thank you Mistress Turner," James said.
Elizabeth led him through to Billy's room, making up a small bed on the floor. She resolved to speak to Catherine in the morning to find out what had happened as soon as possible.
***
That is all for today... orderly queue now... ANI! I SAID AN ORDERLY QUEUE!